HUNDREDS of newborn babies are at the centre of a tuberculosis (TB) scare and are to be screened after a hospital worker was diagnosed with the illness.
Nearly 400 babies will receive check-ups next week, but health chiefs say it is a precautionary measure and it is highly unlikely that anyone would contract TB.
More than 600 adults are being informed they could have been in contact with the health worker, but they do not need to be tested.
Sunderland Royal Hospital has set up a helpline with NHS Direct to give advice to worried parents.
The alert involves babies born at the hospital between November 1, 2003, and January 1 this year.
Hospital chiefs have written to all families involved, but they do not expect any of the patients to test positive for TB.
Thirty of the babies and 18 adults who had contact with the staff member will undergo chest x-rays and screening next week.
Another 364 babies will attend the children's out- patients department, where they will receive skin tests and vaccination, if needed, because there is the possibility they could have come into contact with the worker involved.
Dr Sam Richmond, neo- natologist at Sunderland Royal Hospital, said: "The risk to the babies is small. We would expect nobody to turn up positive."
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